The Testimony of Witnesses who dug up the Voree Plates at the Prophet’s request, on September 18, 1845.
1a On the thirteenth day of September, 1845, we, Aaron Smith, Jirah B. Wheelan, James M. Van Nostrand, and Edward Whitcomb, assembled at the call of James J. Strang, who is by us and many others approved as a Prophet and Seer of God.
1b He proceeded to inform us that it had been revealed to him in a vision that an account of an ancient people was buried in a hill south of White River bridge, near the east line of Walworth County;
1c And leading us to an oak tree about one foot in diameter, told us that we would find it enclosed in a case of rude earthen ware under that tree at the depth of about three feet;
1d requested us to dig it up, and charged us to so examine the ground that we should know we were not imposed upon, and that it had not been buried there since the tree grew.
1e The tree was surrounded by a sward of deeply rooted grass, such as is usually found in the openings, and upon the most critical examination we could not discover any indication that it had ever been cut through or disturbed.
2a We then dug up the tree, and continued to dig to the depth of about three feet, where we found a case of slightly baked clay containing three plates of brass
2b. On one side of one is a landscape view of the south end of Gardner’s prairie and the range of hills where they were dug.
2c On another is a man with a crown on his head and a scepter in his hand, above is an eye before an upright line, below the sun and moon surrounded with twelve stars, at the bottom are twelve large stars from three of which pillars arise, and closely interspersed with them are seventy very small stars.
2d The other four sides are very closely covered with what appear to be alphabetic characters, but in a language of which we have no knowledge.
3a The case was found imbedded in indurated clay so closely fitting it that it broke in taking out, and the earth below the soil was so hard as to be dug with difficulty even with a pickax.
3b Over the case was found a flat stone about one foot wide each way and three inches thick, which appeared to have undergone the action of fire, and fell in pieces after a few minutes exposure to the air.
3c The digging extended in the clay about eighteen inches, there being two kinds of earth of different color and appearance above it.
4a We examined as we dug all the way with the utmost care, and we say, with utmost confidence, that no part of the earth through which we dug exhibited any sign or indication that it had been moved or disturbed at any time previous.
4b The roots of the tree stuck down on every side very closely, extending below the case, and closely interwoven with roots from other trees. None of them had been broken or cut away.
4c No clay is found in the country like that of which the case is made.
5a In fine, we found an alphabetic and pictorial record, carefully cased up, buried deep in the earth, covered with a flat stone, with an oak tree one foot in diameter growing over it, with every evidence that the sense can give that it has lain there as long as that tree has been growing.
5b Strang took no part in the digging, but kept entirely away from before the first blow was struck till after the plates were taken out of the case;
5c And the sole inducement to our digging was our faith in his statement as a Prophet of the Lord that a record would thus and there be found.
AARON SMITH, JIRAH B. WHEELAN,
J. M. VAN NOSTRAND, EDWARD WHITCOMB.
Testimony of a Gentile Newspaper:
CHARACTER OF THE MEN WHO DUG THE PLATES AT VOREE.
Our curiosity was sufficiently excited, to induce us to make ourselves more fully acquainted with the circumstances and facts. For this end we visited the gentlemen alluded to as Seer and Prophet. We were cordially received, the plates were shown us, and we examined the spot from which they purport to have been taken.
The Prophet appears to us a very intelligent man devoid of any thing like enthusiasm: and so far as we could judge honest and earnest in all he said. The men who subscribe the statement are said to be among the most honest and intelligent, in the neighborhood; and take it all together it is something to stagger an ordinary credulity. The popular opinion will doubtless call it a humbug, and so should we from the natural impulse of our mind, but when the testimony appears in opposition to such impulse, we are content to have no opinion about it. [Soupt. Tel.]